Germanic collections | Cambridge University Library
Source: https://www.lib.cam.ac.uk/collections/departments/germanic-collections
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:32
Germanic collections | Cambridge University Library
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Germanic collections
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Archives, Modern and Medieval Manuscripts and University Archives
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The Germanic collections at Cambridge University Library exist to support the curriculum and research needs of the university in the humanities and the social sciences.
A view of Lohr. T
opographia Franconiæ
(Franckfurt:
Matthaeus Merian
, [1648?]) (F164.a.1.4)
The research collections aim to include monographs and serials (both in paper and/or microform), electronic resources, audiovisual materials (when issued with print material), maps and atlases, and some older material for historical research. Although the emphasis on the acquisition of print material is still significant, several types of materials (mostly journals, indexes, and databases) are increasingly being acquired in electronic format.
The German-language collection is estimated at over 390,000 items. This figure includes early printed materials (incunables and items from the 16th century) which amount to 1,000 items. It contains a further 1,000 items published in the 17th century, 4,000 items from the 18th century, and over 250,000 items from the 19th and 20th centuries. As of October 2017, books held by the UL published in the 21st century number over 87,000.
The German specialist is also responsible for the Library's Dutch and Scandinavian collections. The UL contains over 22,000 books in Dutch (including 4,000 21st-century publications), 15,000 Swedish (1,300), 12,000 in Danish (450), 8,000 Norwegian (300), and 4,800 Icelandic (100). Details about an ongoing project to add the Library's impressive early printed Dutch holdings to the Short Title Catalogue Netherlands can be read about
here
.
We try to feature a range of material from our collections on our blog-- please take a look at
our posts featuring German material
. To see our previously featured material, see our
spotlight archive
.
Contact us
Christian Staufenbiel
german@lib.cam.ac.uk
Phone (external line): 01223 333094
Phone (internal network): 33094
Contact us
Cambridge University Library, West Road, Cambridge CB3 9DR, UK
Email:
library@lib.cam.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0) 1223 333000
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skip to content
Study at Cambridge
About the University
Research at Cambridge
Search site
Home
Study at Cambridge
Undergraduate
Undergraduate courses
Applying
Events and open days
Fees and finance
Postgraduate
Postgraduate courses
How to apply
Postgraduate events
Fees and funding
International
students
Continuing education
Executive and professional education
Courses in education
About the University
How the
University and Colleges work
Term dates and calendars
History
Map
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Annual reports
Equality and diversity
News
A global university
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Give to Cambridge
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For Cambridge students
For alumni
For our researchers
Business and enterprise
Colleges & departments
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Libraries
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Home
Collections
All collections & departments
Cambridge University Library
Home
Using the Library
Using the Library overview
Your library membership
Your library membership overview
Online resources and services
Remote services
Remote services overview
Visit the University Library
Visit the University Library overview
Library service updates
Accessibility and disabled library users
Accessibility and disabled library users overview
Research
Research overview
University Library Research Institute
University Library Research Institute overview
Digital Preservation
Digital Preservation overview
Digital Humanities
Digital Humanities overview
Open Research
Research Data management
Futurelib Innovation Programme
Futurelib Innovation Programme overview
Teaching and Learning
Teaching and Learning overview
Information Literacy Teaching at Cambridge
What's On
What's On overview
Exhibitions
Exhibitions overview
Events
Events overview
The Really Popular Book Club
Google Arts and Culture
Search and Find
Search and Find overview
LibGuides - Subject guides
eResources and eJournals
iDiscover
ArchiveSearch
Reference Management
Other catalogues
Collections
Collections overview
Special Collections
Special Collections overview
All collections & departments
All collections & departments overview
Recommend an item for our collection
Recommend an item for our collection overview
Exhibitions
Exhibitions overview
About
About overview
Governance
Governance overview
History of the Library
History of the Library overview
Statement of Collecting Policy
Prizes and Fellowships
Prizes and Fellowships overview
Library Storage Facility
Press and media
Support Us
Support Us overview
Ways to support us
Contact
Germanic collections
Cambridge University Library
Collections
All collections & departments
Germanic collections
About the collections
Special collections
Electronic resources
Exhibitions
Contact us
Archives, Modern and Medieval Manuscripts and University Archives
Bible Society's library
Chinese collections
Collections and Academic Liaison
Conservation
Cultural Heritage Imaging Laboratory
Darwin Correspondence Project
East Asian Reading Room
French collections
Inter-Library Loans
Italian collections
Japanese collections
Korean collections
Latin American & Iberian Collections
Legal Deposit
Maps
Modern Greek collections
Music
Near and Middle Eastern Department
Official Publications
Open Research
Papyrus Collections
Periodicals
Rare Books
Reading Room
Royal Commonwealth Society
Slavonic collections
South Asian, Tibetan and Southeast Asian Department
Taylor-Schechter Genizah Research Unit
The Germanic collections at Cambridge University Library exist to support the curriculum and research needs of the university in the humanities and the social sciences.
A view of Lohr. T
opographia Franconiæ
(Franckfurt:
Matthaeus Merian
, [1648?]) (F164.a.1.4)
The research collections aim to include monographs and serials (both in paper and/or microform), electronic resources, audiovisual materials (when issued with print material), maps and atlases, and some older material for historical research. Although the emphasis on the acquisition of print material is still significant, several types of materials (mostly journals, indexes, and databases) are increasingly being acquired in electronic format.
The German-language collection is estimated at over 390,000 items. This figure includes early printed materials (incunables and items from the 16th century) which amount to 1,000 items. It contains a further 1,000 items published in the 17th century, 4,000 items from the 18th century, and over 250,000 items from the 19th and 20th centuries. As of October 2017, books held by the UL published in the 21st century number over 87,000.
The German specialist is also responsible for the Library's Dutch and Scandinavian collections. The UL contains over 22,000 books in Dutch (including 4,000 21st-century publications), 15,000 Swedish (1,300), 12,000 in Danish (450), 8,000 Norwegian (300), and 4,800 Icelandic (100). Details about an ongoing project to add the Library's impressive early printed Dutch holdings to the Short Title Catalogue Netherlands can be read about
here
.
We try to feature a range of material from our collections on our blog-- please take a look at
our posts featuring German material
. To see our previously featured material, see our
spotlight archive
.
Contact us
Christian Staufenbiel
german@lib.cam.ac.uk
Phone (external line): 01223 333094
Phone (internal network): 33094
Contact us
Cambridge University Library, West Road, Cambridge CB3 9DR, UK
Email:
library@lib.cam.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0) 1223 333000
Privacy and Cookie Policy
Privacy and Cookie Policy
Social Media
Library blogs
YouTube
Join us
Job opportunities
© 2026 University of Cambridge
Contact the University
Accessibility
Freedom of information
Privacy policy and cookies
Statement on Modern Slavery
Terms and conditions
University A-Z
Study at Cambridge
Undergraduate
Postgraduate
Continuing education
Executive and professional education
Courses in education
About the University
How the University
and Colleges work
Give to Cambridge
Jobs
Map
Visiting the University
Research at Cambridge
Research news
About research at Cambridge
Public engagement
Spotlight on...